Darumbal language facts for kids

Darumbal (also spelled Dharambal) was an Aboriginal Australian language from Queensland, Australia. Sadly, it is no longer spoken today. People spoke it around the city of Rockhampton.

It had different ways of speaking, called dialects. These included Guwinmal, Karunbara, Rakiwara, and Wapabura. Some experts thought Darumbal was related to another language called Bayali. However, they didn't share many words. A language expert, Angela Terrill, even said there wasn't enough proof to link Darumbal closely to any other language.

Map of traditional lands of Aboriginal people around Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone, Queensland.

How the Name is Spelled

Over time, people wrote the name of the Darumbal language in different ways. Early researchers like Walter Roth spelled it Ta-rum-bal or Taroombal. Later, Norman Tindale wrote it as Dharumbal. He also noted other spellings like Tarumbul and Charumbul.

Nils Holmer, who studied the language more recently, used Darumbal. However, he used 'D' to make a sound like 'dh'. So, his Darumbal sounded like Dharumbal. Because of this, many experts today use the spelling Dharumbal.

The People Who Spoke Darumbal

The Koinmerburra people (also known as Koinjmal or Guwinmal) spoke the Guwinmal dialect of Darumbal. The Wapabara people (sometimes called Woppaburra) likely spoke their own special dialect too.